Rolling Thunder

Not a very exciting book to read. Dragged a lot and told a story with no end. Do not wish to follow this series.

This book is the third book in a series that started with an unlikely group of people, including a Cajun ex-astronaut and his genius brother, who beat the Chinese in being the first humans on Mars, using a radical new technology even its inventor doesnt fully understand. Lieutenant Patricia Kelly Elizabeth Podkayne Strickland-Garcia-Redmond, a third-generation member of the Martian pioneer family, narrates the story. She goes by only one of her many names, Podkayne. She says shes never read Robert A. Heinleins Podkayne of Mars because she doesnt care much for science fiction. Shes 18 as the book begins, a third-generation Martian whose grandparents were among the first to reach Mars. Shes in the Music, Arts and Drama Division of the Martian Navy, and as the book opens, shes enduring Earth gravity (Mars has a gravity thats 38% of Earths) in Pismo Beach, California weeding out people who want to emigrate to Mars. But soon Podkaynes on her way back to Mars because her great-grandmother, close to dying, has elected to go into a time-suspending bubble. After her extended family sees off their matriarch, Podkayne heads off to Europa, one of Jupiters moons to entertain Martian Navy personnel and scientists there and at other scientific outposts in the Jovian system. Shes a singer/songwriter/composer, and teams up with other musicians in Podkayne and the Pod People. It seems a safe enough, and even creative, way to spend her mandatory time in the service. Safe, that is, until shes in the wrong place at the wrong time. John Varley uses the breezy, informal and often humorous style of Podkayne to tell of sweeping events that shape the history of Earth and Mars. Its a troubled history, and global warming on Earth turns out to be only part of the trouble. Podkayne is very articulate, but shes no rocket scientist, so things get explained pretty much in laymans terms. Shes an entertainer, and events propel her to the heights of fame, something Varley appears to have learned a lot about during his years in Hollywood. Podkaynes journey through the part of her life told in the book takes several unexpected turns, eventually taking her further than shed ever imagined.

Quire a few others have noted that in his Thunder series John Varley is continuously referring to Robert Heinleins novels. But what I havent seen so far is the notion, which struck me after the second book of the series and seems still more pertinent after the third, that what Varley is doing here is reimagining Heinleins entire sequence of juveniles for another age. From 1947 through 1962, Heinlein wrote a total of 14 juveniles. The first dozen were published by Scribners; they rejected STARSHIP TROOPERS as too adult and this effectively ended the series, although a final junvenile, PODKAYNE OF MARS, was published tree years later. The Heinlein novels. although all stand alone, in fact describe a sequence of future events. The first of them, ROCKET SHIP GALILEO, gives an account of the first trip to the Moon; later ones introduce Mars, Venus, Jupiters moon Ganymede and the Asteroid belt; after that, the novels make the leap to the stars, initially in early explorations, later on in the series into a galaxy largely explored by mankind. In this respect, PODKAYNE OF MARS is a throwback to the earlier part of the sequence. What strikes me is that Varley is more or less writing the same sequence of stories, beginning on Earth, going on to Mars and, in the newest book, envisioning future trips to the stars. I hope he continues there. These novels are very close in feel to the Heinlien stories, but firmly placed in the context of a future bleivable in the present. Heinlein was never able to let his characters actually have sex, as Scribners editors wouldnt allow it; instead he made fun of their prejudices by making his main characters so naive that even early 1950s teenagers must have gotten the point (in TUNNEL THROUGH THE SKY, the hero lives for a month in a cave on an alien planet with a girl without realizing that she isnt a boy; when another boy happens along, he knows it within minutes). I note that someone else commenting on these books feels that their sexual openness should bar them from any childs reading list; this to me seems pure idiocy. Kids today grow up watching ads, TV shows and movies depicting sex openly and continuously; Varleys novels accept it as part of life. I find that commendable and if anything adding to their merit as superior juvenile science fiction. The Heinlein project was in a sense unique. Almost no other major sf author made a similar effort to write at the top of his or her form for young readers, possibly with the exception of Andre Norton and Ted White. Varleys novels are in my view the best sf juveniles to be published over the last at least three decades; if there is anyt writing around today more prone to make younger readers advance from Harry Potter to science fiction, Ive yet to find out about it.

Okay, this is another generation of Manny Garcias tribe, and it beggars belief that there are this many influential members. Each with a different talent, yet sharing intelligence, grit and fast reactions. Must be in the DNA. Red Thunder used a mechanism named a squeezer to store energy, then power spacecraft. Fine, it worked for a prototype and performed flawlessly. But in any rational universe, scientists must duplicate the unit; begin to investigate the physics involved. But no, that is impossible. Only the original inventor can make them.... Then he makes himself scarce, to thwart potential kidnappers. Now Podkayne, a singer, gets a gig with a traveling entertainers group, sent to a ruggedly beautiful outpost- dangerously so. She is just earning fame when disaster strikes. The family mourns, but the planets do not stop turning. She lives on in her music. However, Varley has other plans.

This is book 3 of 4 in the series and introduces Jubals bride. While this is important, other events are left hanging. Podkaynes connection to Earths invaders is left unanswered here and in book 4. Perhaps book 5 is coming?

Quite enjoyed it; the writing reminds me of Heinlein’s although the author’s many references to some of Heinlien’s books and characters might be influencing my judgement. You can probably tell I loved Heinlein’s books and stories while growing up and as a young adult, and I like this writing, too...

Varley is perhaps not at his strongest here, given his virtuosity in the Titan series, but he nevertheless provides an entertaining space romp with some unusual and truly engaging characters. There are enough plot kinks to keep you interested in our heroines fate (with the unlikely name of Podkayne), and the end run heads us off to a feel-good launch ramp for the next novel (surely theres another in the writing as we speak....) After a long hiatus between this and his Titan series, Im delighted to see Mr. Varley is back in the saddle. I give it 4 stars for decent characterization, continued use of ingenious gadgetry developed in a prior novel, a reasonably complex plot, and for not taking itself too seriously. All in all, a worthy, happy read.

I had a great time zipping through this book - nice to meet the next generation of characters in the series and catch up on the older ones. And it was fantastic to know that the great music lives on - Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald. Thanks John Varley! Fran Morris Rosman Executive Director The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation [...]

Book 3 of the series was the weakest. Red Thunder was good, and Red Lightening the 2nd in the series was the best, in my opinion.

Quite fun. An old favorite.